I remember the first time I heard the music from The Trouble with Templeton. I was transfixed by its heart and intimacy. However, somewhere along the way my enthusiasm started to wane as the band’s sound became louder. So I’m thrilled to hear the group’s singer/songwriter Thomas Calder has emerged with a brand new solo side project Daggy Man.
With the first single “Little Whip,” Thomas has returned to his roots. The song is small bit compelling, and just beautiful. It’s our first taste of an EP which Thomas wrote and recorded while travelling around the United Kingdom earlier this year.
Category: Single Releases
GL Get Me Grooving with “Number One”
It’s only Tuesday but after a busy weekend filled with work I’m feeling those mid-week blues a day early. If there was ever a song to bust me out of my funk, it would be the very funky new single “Number One” from Melbourne duo GL.
This is a pure retro throwback, with shimmery synths and a great melodic hook. Ella Thompson’s voice is sugary sweet and the production from Graeme Pogson is spot on.
GL will launch the single for their hometown fans at the Gasometer Hotel on October 24.
The Ruckus Release “Steady Hands” for HeadSpace
Sydney band The Ruckus is the latest act to put their talents towards mental health initiatives in support of Mental Health Month. Their latest single “Steady Hands” is a melodic slice of hard rock with a wonderful message of empowerment that should resonate whether you’re dealing with mental health issues or not.
The cause is close to The Ruckus’ heart, as the band has personally faced the challenges that depression and other mental health concerns can bring.
All proceeds from the sale and streaming of “Steady Hands” will benefit the HeadSpace initiative, which provides early intervention mental health services to young people in need. So if you like what you hear, please head over to iTunes and download it to support this great cause.
Lucy Neville Releases Single for Beyond Blue
I don’t normally write about singles I can’t share with you, but when it came to “There’s Light” by Lucy Neville I thought it was important to make an exception.
Lucy took inspiration from her mother’s lifelong battle with depression.
“It was a very personal and challenging theme to write a song about, but I ultimately wanted it to be a message about hope and a light at the end of the tunnel,” she explained in a press release.
“There’s a stigma attached to mental illness, because it’s not something that everyone can understand: it’s not black and white. It’s different for everyone who goes through it, which can make it difficult to understand for those who have not yet experienced it.”
Lucy used the recording time she won after taking out the City’s and Sydney Youth Music’s Our Kind of Music gig to lay the song down.
Fittingly, all proceeds from the sale of “There’s Light” will benefit Beyond Blue. So it doesn’t matter that I can’t share it with you here, because you should reach into your pocket and pay for it if you want to hear it. You get some new music, Beyond Blue gets cash, and everybody wins.
Image used with permission from Ditto Music Australia
The New Savages Unleash Music Video
The New Savages have just released their very first music video to accompany their new single “Smokestack Lightnin’.”
This song sounds like it’s come out of America’s Deep South rather than Melbourne. I love its old school blues feel. It’s the second track lifted from The New Savages debut EP, In My Time of Dyin’.
The New Savages are playing a few shows this month ahead of a more extensive national tour later this year.
17 October 2015 – Marysville Bakery, Marysville
24 October 2015 – The Rooks Return, Melbourne
29 October 2015 – The B.East, Melbourne
31 October 2015 – The Drunken Poet, Melbourne
Grace Releases New Single “Boyfriend Jeans”
I enjoyed Grace’s cover of “You Don’t Own Me” as much as the next girl, but I couldn’t help but feel like this debut single didn’t really show me what this Brisbane singer was all about. It was a cover rather than an original, cleverly produced to appeal to a new generation. Her voice got a little bit lost in all that. So I’m thrilled to see she’s gone in a completely new direction with the release of her second single “Boyfriend Jeans.”
This video only has the audio, but I think that works in its favour because you can really focus in on the track’s story. It’s a beautifully written song which shows impressive depth considering Grace wrote it when she was just 16. In all the production of “You Don’t Own Me,” I don’t think I got to appreciate just how good Grace’s voice is either.
Personally I think “Boyfriend Jeans” is a much stronger song. That’s not to say it should have been the first single. “You Don’t Own Me” was just what Grace needed to get our attention. But now that she has it, she can show us what she’s really got.
Casey Barnes Releases Bluesy New Single “The One You Love”
If you were as big of an Australian Idol nut as me, you might remember Casey Barnes from season 7, the year Stan Walker took it out. He didn’t progress very far in the program, but he’s continued to hone his craft and work with top names in the music industry.
His latest single “The One You Love” sees him teaming up with producer Nick DiDia, who’s worked with local talents like Powderfinger and Kasey Chambers as well as international luminaries including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine.
“Working with Nick DiDia on this track has honestly been a dream come true especially when you stop and realise who he’s worked with over the years. We’re so blessed to have a producer like him in the country and he’s taken this song exactly where I wanted it to go,” Casey explained in a press release. “I really feel this is one of the strongest singles I’ve released to date. I can’t wait for you all to hear it now.”
I’ve heard a few of Casey’s post-Idol songs, and I agree with him that this is one of the best. It has such a cool bluesy vibe and really strong, sexy vocals.
Casey recently signed an exclusive worldwide management deal, so we’ll hopefully be seeing a lot more of him. Before world domination though, he’s playing the Perth Telethon next week, the Rural Weekly Pro Bull Riding Series Finals in Rockhampton on October 24, and supporting Rick Price at the Gold Coast Arts Centre on November 14.
Image used with permission from Arrow Entertainment
Society of Beggars Rock Out with “Terrible Rain”
Melbourne rock act Society of Beggars are back with a brand new single “Terrible Rain.”
I love the way this track builds to a bold crescendo. Frontman Yianni Michalopoulous’ soulful vocals drew me in on the band’s debut single “Hyena,” but I think they’re even stronger on this track. You just see if you’re not punching your fist in the air by the end.
Society of Beggars will launch the single for hometown fans at Shebeen tonight, October 8. Tickets are available on the door and bundled with a free download of “Terrible Rain.”
Quang Dinh is QD
Music is in Quang Dinh’s veins. Bored during some downtime from his band Naked Bodies, he decided to launch his solo project QD to “keep banging the music.” He’s come up with a real guilty pleasure with his new single “Oedipus Rex.” It’s very rough around the edges, but there’s just something about this kooky psychedelic cut that makes me smile.
Quang tells me that the song’s about a king, Oedipus, who’s addicted to online porn. It comes with one of the most original and out there videos I’ve seen in some time.
“Oedipus Rex” is the lead single from Quang’s new EP Wiseman Beggar Yellow Hobo.
Jess Fairlie Gets Me in Long Weekend Frame of Mind with Sensational “Senses”
Can’t you just feel that long weekend in the air? I’ve been that busy with work that I’m not sure I’ve taken a weekend of any description since I had a mini cruise getaway in the first week of September, so I’m definitely going to savour this one. I’ve got some painting that needs doing, and some tiles that need buying. The jobs of a home renovator are never done. But I’ve promised my husband that we’ll carve out one solid day to just veg on the couch and binge-watch Empire.
With that long weekend looming, it seems the right time to introduce you to “Senses,” the debut single from Melbourne’s Jess Fairlie. It’s very soulful and jazzy and just stunning. Pour yourself a glass of wine, press play, and just let this one wash over you. What a gorgeous song!